Posted at LP.org blog:
Washington – Libertarian Party headquarters staff and interns joined the 9/12 Tea Party March on Washington. After gathering at Freedom Plaza, just blocks from the White House, the march proceeded the 1.1 miles down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol for a rally.
"Libertarians say Republicans equal big government: $400 billion Medicare drugs, $700 billion bank bailout, $3 trillion budgets, $1 trillion war" read one sign. Other signs displayed "There is only one way to kill capitalism: taxes," and "The drug war: keeping criminals employed since 1971."
Wes Benedict, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party, commented, "As expected, there were lots of Republicans at this event. However, with all of the smiles and thumbs-up we received, you could tell that many people felt little or no allegiance to the Republican Party. There was a constant flow of people stopping to photograph our signs and we passed out lots of Libertarian Party literature and stickers."
Below: Nick Gillespie, Editor in Chief of Reason.com and Reason.tv, interviews LPHQ staff member Mark Meranta.
https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2009/09/libertarian-party-monday-message-libertarians-march-in-912-protest/#comments
I watched a few minutes of the rally on CSPAN. I saw “Hi-Caliber” a conservative hip hop duo rap about how great guns are, and how important it is to fight.
For some reason, they seem to think their rapping about guns and violence is different from other hip hop raps.
i DID assume he assumed , lol
Ah-oh, I got a perfect “consistent L” score.
I’m a purist!! š
Good idea.
Good version of the test Brian.
In next iteration you could allow people to enter zero through ten? Just a suggestion.
I’ve only seen one Republican comment on this post so far that I know of. The rest of us are with you, except for Democrat shill Degan who is no better than Republican shill Dondero.
So who’s “you guys”?
You all can say this republican was there and this republican organized this….One question, where were these republicans when Bush was trampling on the constitution??? I find it very irratating that these so called Liberty, constitution loving republicans were the same ones who told those of us that Bush’s war was illegal, the patriot act goes against everything our founbding fathers stood for, that we were Anti-American, terrorist sympothizers……you guys were the same ones who said it was OK to give up some of your freedom to aquire security. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! You are just rising up NOW because the D’s are in control. Would you REALLY be protesting this if McCain won??? You do know he would have offered you the same “solutions”? I believe the majority of republicans that attended this rally are not truly for liberty and freedom. I know quite a few who atteneded this weekend who were OK with the gov. stepping into the middle of a very private family matter (Shiavo case). The truth will be in the votes…..let’s see how many of the incumbents will be voted out of office. and how many of the same will be elected into office.
R & D= SAME
Time for a thrid party to rise up!!!
LG, that all helps too. Get better soon!
Use the menu in the middle right area to plug into the quiz the views of the various American political parties, as indicated by their platforms. I think the scores are pretty accurate, except I’m probably too generous to give the Dems a 5 on drugs; that should be closer to zero. Since Obama claims not to demand single-payer, he is arguably closer to a 5 than to zero on “shop for your health insurance”, so I give him 5 extra points there than the Dem platform earns. That’s why I give him 50/20 while the menu currently scores the Dems at 55/15.
Other recent presidents have pretty much followed their party line positions, so I give the Bushes and Reagan the GOP standard 15/65 if I limit my responses to 0/5/10.
I don’t want to define 5 as the status quo, because we’re definitely more free in some areas than in others. The menu shows how I score America’s status quo policies if I’m constrained to 0/5/10 answers.
You assume he assumed
š
he assumed
Me too. But I’d be interested to know how Brian arrives at Obama’s score, the Communist Party score, the current US government score, etc.
I took B’s test , I got 100/100 , shocking…
Exactly.
I hate to be so blunt, but…
Anyone who thinks this has anything to do with Obama being half black is an idiot. Bush was white and we gave him just as much hell.
How would you score other recent presidents?
On the high-precision Political IQ test, Ron Paul scores 90/100 and is nowhere near the authoritarian quadrant. Obama scores 50/20, making him a left-authoritarian. His position lies about one third of the way between America’s status quo (55/35) and the Communist Party (30/0).
You can score them yourselves by clicking through to the test:
“Listen, I really hate to be the bearer of bad tidings here, I really do. But if you canāt foresee some kind of Timothy McVeigh-style domestic incident somewhere down the pike, youāre a hell of a lot more optimistic than I am. ”
Yeah, I bet you sure hope so. That would give Obama the excuse he needs to round up the Tea Partiers, Town Hallers, real and alleged racists, anyone critical of his adminsitration (it’s alreday come out that they have a team scouring blogs, twitter and facebook for anti-Obama comments), anyone deemed to be anti-government, etc., and stick us in FEMA camps.
In fact, if it takes too long for a real nutball to do his thing, they might just find a patsy or covert agent to do it and make it look like the work of a domestic right wing extremist.
And you’ll be cheering the round-ups, won’t you Tom?
Maybe until they come for you. Don’t think for a moment that your sycophancy for Obama will make you safe. Lots of good true believer communists died in Stalin’s gulags.
“They canāt obstruct his agenda with a manufactured scandal regarding his personal life, as they did with Bill Clinton. eleven years ago. ”
What makes you so sure?
“This is all about the underlying, hideous factor of the racism that is so deeply ingrained in the American character. ”
Ah. So anyone who opposes Obama, his wars, corporate bailouts, medical putsch, trillion dollar deficits, etc., must be a racist? Is there anything that Obama could do that would make opposing or protesting against him non-racist in your opinion?
And letās not forget the untidy little truism that a lot of these folks are armed and dangerous. Who can forget the asshole who showed up outside one of the presidentās Town Hall meetings in New Hampshire last month with a gun strapped to his leg?
Tom, why are you frightened or intimidated by a BLACK MAN with a GUN?? This really says a lot about YOU!!
PEACE
“Ron Paul – Fantastically libertarian on domestic issues, Horrendously authoritarian on foreign policy.
Heās a 50/50er. And in my book someone has to score at least high 60s or 70s to be able to call oneself a ālibertarianā.”
That just proves you have no idea what libertarian is. Ron Paul was right to fire you. He should have done it sooner. Ron Paul’s foreign policy is one of the best things about him, as well as his economic policies. He is a little weak on some social issues though.
“Mr. Key, I could name 50 or more libertarian Republicans in congress and state legislators, if youād like. ”
None of them are libertarian.
“I know I shouldnāt be, but Iām somewhat surprised Tom Woods, Lew Rockwell, Judge Nap, Adam Kokesh and/or Ron Paul were not asked to speak at the 9/12 event in DC.”
Not that surprising given that the official organization has been thoroughly infiltrated by neocons. However, there were lots of people who are influenced by the people you name in attendance, making contacts, talking to people, passing out literature etc.
“Re @19: Is Armey a member of the LP? I didnāt know that.”
Of course not. Not even close!
ed: Ron Paul – Fantastically libertarian on domestic issues, Horrendously authoritarian on foreign policy.
me: Authoritarian? Help us understand that charge, Eric.
This is all about the underlying, hideous factor of the racism that is so deeply ingrained in the American character. The attempt to portray this president (Of all people!) as a socialistic, left wing extremist doesn’t even pass the giggle test for people who have bothered to pay attention to their times and their history. Let’s face it – Franklin D. Roosevelt, he ain’t! They can’t obstruct his agenda with a manufactured scandal regarding his personal life, as they did with Bill Clinton. eleven years ago. Their only hope is for enough of the American people to become really frightened by the Big, Bad Negro Commie. An ironic description when one takes into consideration how boringly moderate Obama really is.
Think about this: In the last presidential campaign only one of the nominees of the two major political parties was born in the United States – Barack Obama – John McCain was born in Panama. Do you find it as revealing as I do that it was the black guy had his citizenship called into question? How much more proof do we need of the overt racism that is inherent in that party – or in our own country for that matter? Honestly, this isn’t rocket science, folks!
Joe Wilson and the nincompoops on the far right have opened a Pandora’s Box that may very well prove difficult to close. What they are now doing – consciously or unconsciously – is prompting their brain-dead masses toward violence and intimidation. And let’s not forget the untidy little truism that a lot of these folks are armed and dangerous. Who can forget the asshole who showed up outside one of the president’s Town Hall meetings in New Hampshire last month with a gun strapped to his leg? My biggest worry is that that little incident is merely a small illustration of worst things to come.
Listen, I really hate to be the bearer of bad tidings here, I really do. But if you can’t foresee some kind of Timothy McVeigh-style domestic incident somewhere down the pike, you’re a hell of a lot more optimistic than I am. Also, if you are not seriously alarmed by what is now happening to our beloved country, you’re not paying attention.
And now Glenn Beck is all set to become the Martin Loony King of the Far Right with his stupid March on Washington today.
Isn’t life interesting?
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
Mr. Key, I could name 50 or more libertarian Republicans in congress and state legislators, if you’d like.
But this is not quite the appropriate forum for that. Just because I listed only 6 above, doesn’t mean I believe there to be only 6 libertarian Republicans in Congress.
I’d say the number is closer to 20 to 30, with another 50 or so libertarian-leaners.
Every single one of them a Republican, with the sole exception of “libertarian-leaning” Democrat Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho.
Ron Paul – Fantastically libertarian on domestic issues, Horrendously authoritarian on foreign policy.
He’s a 50/50er. And in my book someone has to score at least high 60s or 70s to be able to call oneself a “libertarian”.
Yeah, Ron Paul “fired” me alright. He fired me by giving me a $10,000 bonus, and then proceeded to call me weeks later on at least two occasions asking me to “please come back to work.”
Thanks Mike , Im into herbs somewhat , i always eat alot of garlic , and I am drinking ginger tea and taking echinacea which im certain cures everything. that and doing Reiki on myself.
I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m somewhat surprised Tom Woods, Lew Rockwell, Judge Nap, Adam Kokesh and/or Ron Paul were not asked to speak at the 9/12 event in DC.
LG, work the warming spices in the food–cayenne and garlic, for example, which means load up on the buffalo wings and similar, that should help. The trick is to warm and relax the lungs to help them clear up.
This might give you some treatments as well: http://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/cam/hn-2235005.htm
Weed is good.
Semen is also supposed to help, although I haven’t tried it myself.
Hope you feel better….
actually I have bronchitis , funny you should ask . I have no insurance so Im self medicating with weed:)
seriously.
P__And yes, the Republicans are trying to co-opt the antitax movement
me_ haha , right ! at the tea party in Vegas in April someone actually said” wow , this is cool , we should do this every year!”
I was like , um , hello , the Clark County LP is out here Tax Day every year , for as long as I can remember..
How’s the throat?
š
P__In reality, itās one side pretending to be two
fucking BINGO!!!! , the 2 -side paradigm is a charade
Yup, both sides are to blame.
This would be true if there were actually two sides.
In reality, it’s one side pretending to be two. Those of us who are not part of the elitist establishment are the other side.
It’s called divide and conquer.
And yes, the Republicans are trying to co-opt the antitax movement just like the Democrats tried to coopt the antiwar movement. Also known as “find a parade and jump in front…”
I donāt even think Sarah Palin knows what letter is next to her name.
A for Anal?
Bla bla bla, libertarians and Republicans are all liberal commies anyway. They believe in the democratic or republican form of government. The tea parties are another attempt to hide the complicity of the American right with the left. The only way to create the true society is to return to absolute monarchy, where the British monarch controls the entire American government.
Down with the tea parties, down with Obamacare. Both are wrong, both must submit to the British empire.
The fun part is watching Dondero not reply to me. He and I were in an email argument during the primary about who was the neocon and who was the libertarian – Giuliani or Paul. In an effort to come up with proof he asked me if Goldwater was a Neocon. When I replied that Goldwater wasn’t a Neocon, Deondero hailed that as proof that Paul was one and Giuliani wasn’t one.
I pointed out that his conclusion did not follow from his premise and he never responded to me again.
Dondero names each of the less than 20 remaining Republicans who lean libertarian (except for the one Republican who is the most libertarian of them all – but he fired Dondero so he doesn’t count) and expects us to say “wow, all 20 of them, the Republican Party must be full of libertarians.”
There are 1200 dues paying members of the California Republican Party. Dondero can name 20 people nation-wide (excluding the best one of the 20) who are libertarian and Republican. Those 20 sure out number the 1200.
Bachmann?
Dondero … sersiously?
BTW, what do you think of Republican Libertarian events in Florida?
Ahh, and once again, you’re in gross error Mr. Knapp.
For Dick Armey is BOTH! a Libertarian and a Republican.
You are obviously ignorant of his background as student of the Austrian school of economics, and the fact that he was heavily instrumental in Ron Paul’s election to Congress in 1996.
But then again, one can excuse your ignorance, not being very savvy at politics and clued in on current events.
Yeah Steven, that pesky Jim DeMint, he’s such a “finger in the air” sort of guy.
Ditto Mike Pence. He’s “principal-less,” just another politician. Thanks for clearing that up.
Eric,
You’re correct. Dick Armey is a Republican.
If he was, as you claim, the “organizer” of the 9/12 march, then we have our answer: It was a Republican, not a libertarian, event.
Of course it’s a little more complicated than that. I personally believe that the event pretty much organized itself (with cheerleading from Glenn Beck), and that there was a sizeable libertarian contingent, as well as a very large unaffiliated contingent … that Republicans would very much like to co-opt.
I’m not sure when Rohrabacher stopped being a libertarian, but presumably it was at some point before he started calling for the use of slave labor to keep wages down so that them dirty furriners would stop coming here to work.
Did the Constitution Party participate at this event?
I was raised during the cold war and was taught 1 individual thinker equals thousands of communists this is how communism is always overcome.
Liberatarians are jst like Dems and Repbs – spend too much time putting down other parties instead of discussing what we need to do. We should all be independents and support the candidate who best represents our individal beliefs.
I don’t even think Sarah Palin knows what letter is next to her name.
But, seriously, Joe Wilson voted for the Bush Bailouts, so I’d be reluctant to claim him as the “hero” for any type of fiscal movement. Unfortunately, it seems to be Dondero’s pattern to scrape for some type of iconic figure without really giving it much mind (hence his obsession with Palin).
I agree with Knapp: Democrats don’t admit to championing capitalism, whereas Republicans do. That makes Republicans worse. Not only are they pro-big government, they lie about it, too.
Eric:
ONLY 6 republicans with their fingers in the air can tell which way the wind is blowing??
PEACE
TIME FOR LIBERTARIANS TO SPEAK UP.
This is what we need and a lot more of it. Get the word out.
Yup, Democrats never pretend to be libertarians.
Two words:
Bill Mahr
Yup Knapp, that dastardly Tom McClintock and that fraudster Jeff Flake. How dare they call themselves “libertarians.”
And that Bob Hedlund. He has no right to call himself a “libertarian.”
Republicans like McClintock, Flake, Rohrabacher, Bachmann, Hedlund, Dr. Broun, Culberson, Sen. Coburn, et.al. are just “big spenders.”
The organizer of the 2 million + attendance March on DC was Dick Armey of Freedom Works.
My memory is going. Haven’t taken my Gingko Biloba today. Wondering if you all could help me out with a little something.
What’s the political affiliation of former Congressman Armey?
Is he a Democrat or Republican?
Thanks for the help.
Mr. Dondero has a point. The Republicans aren’t just as bad as the Democrats. They’re worse. At least Democratic congresscritters don’t pretend to be libertarians.
By just about all media accounts, and reports on the Blogs, Sarah Palin was the darling of the Tea Party Protest. Reporters who asked, who’d you most like to see run in 2012, or which prominent political figure most closely represents your views, just about to a person responded: SARAH PALIN!!
Help me out here you all.
Does Sarah have an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ by her name??
I wonder if all this Republican bashers can tell us what the Party Affiliation is of the one Congressmen to stand up to Obama, and the clear Hero of the Tea Party Protest?
Joe Wilson, Republican or Democrat?
Yup, both sides are to blame. I guess that explains why of the current 6 elected United States Congressman and Senators in attendance, like Jim DeMint, Pence, and Marsha Blackburn, all were Republicans. Not a single Democrat in sight.
Lets say that again: 6 Republican Congressmen at the Tea Party Rally, not a single Democrat.
“Oh gee, those dastardly Republicans are just as bad as the Democrats, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…”
9/11: Cheney did it. Bush knew.
This is exactly what the LP should be doing. See my comments at Next Free Voice:
http://pauliecannoli.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/crossfertilizing-on-the-left-and-right-and-what-is-effective-outreach/
Similarly, I hope that the LPHQ and local LP chapters will be at the next round of peace demonstrations with the messages that Obama is a warmonger and taxes fund the war machine.
Maybe throw in when goods don’t cross borders armies will for good measure.
It was an amazing day, an amazing event. I found most people that I spoke with, were angry and frustrated with both sides of the aisle. It is time for strong 3rd party representation.